Harvard Professor Dan Lieberman just joined Barefoot Runners NYC for a morning run in Central Park. We did a little over 3 miles before I had to split. He's recently back from Kenya, the land of barefoot runners, where he is preparing for an ambitious study on running injuries. Very cool.
Amazing, though, how few companies and institutions are interested in funding his work. I can't think of a more practical area of study, with direct implications for tens of millions of running Americans. Professor Lieberman also observed how psychologically wedded we are to our fancy modern running shoes -- even though they're only a few decades old.
Vibram posted three portions of an interview with Harvard professor Dan Lieberman. I've also posted the profile of Lieberman and his work from when it appeared in Nature. All short and worth watching.
And personally, Professor Lieberman is a great guy. I had the opportunity to hear him speak at the Harvard Club last fall. Awesome presentation -- can't wait for his book. He's done all sorts of cool research on how different parts of the human body give us clues as to what types of movements we're adapted to. Like we have a muscle in our necks to keep our head from bouncing around that running animals tend to have. He's currently in Kenya, or as he put it to me, "in the land of barefoot runners".
1. On a heel strike vs. a forefoot strike.
2. On "compliance", or your body's give.
3. On the modern running shoe.
4. And the slightly longer profile of Dan Lieberman and his work done by Nature.
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